Absorbent articles fitted to the body of a wearer are sometimes used to absorb body exudates, such as urine, feces, or menses. Absorbent articles may be used, for example, by infants who have not been toilet trained, or by children or adults experiencing incontinence due to illness or infirmity, or by menstruating women. Absorbent articles may be disposable or reusable, or a combination of the two. For example, an absorbent article may have a disposable absorbent insert for collecting and containing body fluids, and a reusable outer cover which holds the disposable absorbent insert near the body of the wearer during use.
A disposable absorbent insert may be intended to capture all body exudates; however, some volume of exudates may not be absorbed by the insert, or may not be absorbed immediately. For example, the absorbent capacity of the insert may be exceeded in at least a portion of the insert; or a release of exudates may occur at a rate greater than the maximum rate of absorption of the insert; or the position of the insert relative to the body of the wearer may be such that a small amount of fluid is not directed to the insert, but rather moves beyond the insert and into the outer cover. In such situations, it may be desirable that the outer cover keeps these exudates contained within the absorbent article. Containment may, for example, prevent the soiling of nearby surfaces in the wearer's environment, such as the wearer's clothes, a caregiver's clothes, bedding, furniture, and the like.
One approach to containing such loose substances within the absorbent article is to use a hydrophobic outer cover and secure it tightly to the wearer, particularly around the legs and waist, as by elastic leg bands and waist bands. However, liquid or semi-liquid wastes may pool and collect along the edges of a hydrophobic material, such that any gapping at the leg or waist bands will allow errant wastes to escape. Further, tight closures may be uncomfortable, constrain wearer movement, leave red marks on or abrade the skin, limit the adaptability of a single size of an outer cover to fit a range of wearer shapes and sizes, or have other limitations.
There remains a need for an outer cover for an absorbent article which is comfortable, conformable to a wearer, and contains exudates not absorbed by the absorbent insert within the absorbent article.